Tone-modulating apparatus for self-playing musical instruments.



L. B. DOMAN. TONE MODULATING APPARATUS FOR SELF PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14. 1916 Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

wm m

L. B. DOMAN. v TONE MODULATING APPARATUS FOR SELF PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I4. 1916.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 UNITED srmrpsggrnnr orrion.

LEWIS B. DOMAN, OF EAST SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMPHION PIANO PLAYER COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TONE-MODULATING APPARATUS FOR SELF-PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed February 14, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lrwrs B. DOMAN, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of East Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in- Tone-Modulating Apparatus for Selfllaying Musical Instruments, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in tone-modulating apparatus for self-playing musical instruments of the class set forth in my pending application, Serial No. 38,181, filed July 6, 1915, involving the use of a web-controlled, pneumatically-operated tone-controlling valve in combination with means for operating said valve at will independently of the web-controlled operating means. I

In the application referred to, when the valve is operated through the medium of pneumatics controlled by special apertures and ducts in the note sheet and tracker bar, respectively, the manual or finger lever by which the valve is operated independently of said pneumatics is caused to vibrate in response to the movements of the valve, and with some users this vibration is objectionable.

The main object, therefore, of my present invention is to provide simple means whereby the manual may remain at rest when the tone modulation is produced aut0- matically.

In other words, I have sought to provide convenient means for connecting and breaking the connection between the manual and valve so that the latter may be operated automatically independently of the manual or by the manual independently of the auto matic operating means.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the invention will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings Figure l is a perspective view, partly broken away and partly in section, of the valve chest and valve-controlling means for Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented, Feb. 19, 1913.

Serial No. 78,174.

the tone-modulating device, together with portions of the note-sheet and tracker.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the clutch and its operating means for making and breaking the connection between the valve-operating lever and valve.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the auxiliary valve for controlling the operation of the clutch-operating pneumatic.

Fig. dis a perspective view of a toneinodit'ying device to which my invention is applied.

Figs. 5 and 6 are, respectively, a longitudinal vertical sectional view and a transverse vertical sectional view of the valve chest shown in Fig. 1.

As illustrated, the controlling means for the tone-modulating apparatus comprises the slide valve 1- and a pair of similar pneumatics 2 for shifting the valve in reverse directions through the medium of pawls 3 which are connected to their respective pneumatics 2 for engaging reversely arranged tooth racks -4:- on the valve.

The pneumatics -2 are preferably secured to opposite ends of a valve chest 5? which is adapted to be connected by a pipe or conduit +6- to the wind chest of a tonemodifying device -A-, said wind chest being in turn connected by pipe D to a wind-inducing device -.B-, a portion of which is shown in Fig. 1.

The valve -1 serves to connect any one of a series of, in this instance three, conduits -7 with an exhaust conduit -7, the latter being connected to the exhaust chamber of the valve chest 5, Fig. 6 while the conduits 7 are connected to a corresponding number of tone-modulating pneumatics -awhich cooperate with a tension regulating pneumatic a? to control the expression.

Communication between the valve operating pneumatics 2- and the exhaust chamber as -6- of the valve chest 5- is controlled by suitable valves 5.. and primary pneumatics 8-, not shown, but

located within thewind chest. the primary pneumatics being connected by conduits -8 to special ducts 28 in a tracker bar 29 where they are controlled by corresponding apertures 3l and 3l in a note sheet, 30.

The main feature of my invention however resides in the connection between the valve land a suitable operating manual therefor, such for example as a finger lever 9, which is secured to one end of a rock shaft lO in combination with means presently described for making and breaking such connection. 7

This rock shaft is journaled in suitable bearings ll, preferably on the under side of the instrument frame below the keyboard, and is provided with a suitable clutch section 12 rigid thereon and adapted to cooperate with a co-axial clutch section 13 which is loose on the shaft and normally engaged with the section -l2 to turn with the shaft, but is slidable out of engagement therewith against the action of a retracting spring -14: to avoid turning with the shaft when desired, said spring being interposed between the clutch section l3 and a suitable collar l5-- on the shaft.

The clutch section 13 is provided with a crank arm 16- which is connected by an extensible link 1T to the valve -l to enable said valve to be adjusted manually through the medium of the finger lever -9 when the members l2- and l3 are engaged.

Suitable means is provided for disengaging the clutch section l3 from its companion section -l2 to allow the shaft l0 and finger lever 9 to remain at rest when the valve lis operated by the pneumatics 2-, said means consisting, in this instance, of a relatively small pneumatic 1S suitably mounted upon the supporting frame of the instrument and having its movable side provided with a forked arm 19 engaging in an annular groove in the clutch section 13- so that when the pneumatic 18 is deflated by exhausting the air therefrom, it will shift the clutch section 13 out of engagement with the clutch section l:2 against the action of the spring 14- for the purpose described.

The pneumatic 1S is connected bv a conduit 20 to a port 21- in a valve board 22, said valve board being provided with an additional port 23 which is adapted to be connected by a conduit -2l directly or indirectly to the windinducing device.

Movable along and upon the valve board -22- is a valve -95 normally covering the exhaust port -Q3 and adapted to connect and disconnect the port 21' with and from said port 23-, the valve 25- being operated at will through the medium of an operating rod 2t5- within easy reaching distance of the operator.

When no provision is made in the note sheet and tracker bar for the operation of the tone-modulating device, such modulation may be el'i'ected through the medium of the lever -9-, in which case the 'alve 25 would simply be shifted to uncover the port 2l to the atmosphere, thereby allowing the spring l4 to engage the clutch sections -l2 and 13 for completing the connection between the lever and valve 4-.

It is evident, however, that even though the note sheet and tracker bar may be provided with the necessaryapertures and ducts for automatically controlling the operation of the tone-modulating device, it will be possible at all times to introduce other modulations as may be desired by properly manipulating the lever -9.

On the other hand if the tone-modulating device is controlled automatically through the medium of the specially perforated web and ducts in the tracker bar, the transmission of motion from the valve l to the lever 9 may be prevented by simply shifting the valve 25 so as to cover both of the horts -21- and 23, thereby causing the deflation of the pneumatic l8 to withdraw the clutch section l3- from engagement with the section l2, in which position it will be held as long as the instrument is being played, thereby allowing the lever and its shaft l0- to remain at rest.

What I claim is:

1. In a tone-modulating device for selfplaymg musical instruments, the combination with a web-controlled, pneumaticallvoperated tone-controlling valve, of means operable at will for shifting said valve independently of the web-control and including a clutch. 2. In a pneumatic self-playing musm nstrument, a tone-modulating device having web-controlling means and hand-com trolling means including means for rendermg the hand-controlling means inactive while the web-controlling means is active.

3. In a self-playing musical instrument, a tone-modulating device having a tone-centrolling valve, web-controlled pneumatics for operating said valve, and manuallv operated means for operating the valve independently of the pneumatics and includmg a clutch.

4. In a self-playing musical instrument, a tone-modulating device having a tone-controlling valve, web-controlled pneumatics for operating said valve, manually operated means for operating the valve independently of the pneumatics and including a leasing the clutch, and means Operable at clutch, and separate pneumatic means for will for controlling the operation of the releasing the clutch. last-named pneumatic means.

5. Ina self-playing musical instrument, a In witness whereof I have hereunto set 5 tone-modulating device having a tone-conmy hand this 11th day of February 1916.

trolling valve, Web-controlled pneulnatics for operating said valve, manually operated v LEWIS DOMAN' means for operating the valve independ- Witnesses: ently of the pneumatics and including a ANNA H. MILLER, 10 clutch, separate pneumatic means for re- MARGARET N. BROWN.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for flve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patentl, Washington, D. O." 

